Tongue-support.



' E; AYERS.

TONGUE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED muzsa. 190s.

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907 7 [TN 58: w 4

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INVENTOR Elmer C.

' ATTORNEYS;

TTNTTED STATES PATENT ETQ ELMER O. AYERS, OF VALENTINE, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MILTON V. NICHOLSON, OF VALENTINE, NEBRASKA.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

Application filed May 29,1906. serial N0. 319.329.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER O. AYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valentine, in the county of Cherry and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tongue-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a support for wagon tongues, designed to relieve the necks of the horses of its weight, and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of a tension spring, combined with a chain and pulley and means for regulating the tension as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the front hounds, axle and bolster. Fig. 2 is a top plan view and Fig. 8 is an inverted plan.

In the drawing, A represents the front axle.

B is the bolster.

O are the front hounds and D is the tongue whose rear end is made somewhat divergent and is pivoted upon a long horizontal bolt a extending through the front ends of the hounds and the rear end of the tongue in the usual manner.

As shown the hounds are formed of a single bent piece of wood secured between the axle and bolster. To the rear end of the hounds upon the outside of the bend is bolted or screwed a metal plate I) in which is secured a forwardly projecting bolt 0 to which is attached one end of a strong spiral spring E. The forward end of this spring is connected to a chain F and this passes under the axle to and around a pulley G and thence upwardly to a rearwardly projecting bar H bolted or screwed to the rear end of the tongue.

The bar H has a plurality of notches or holes in its rear end into which one of the links of the chain may be hung and when so connected and the spring is put under proper tension the rear end of the tongue behind its fulcrum a will be pulled down and the front outer end of the tongue will be lifted up with a force dependent upon the adjustment and entirely relieving the necks of the team of the weight and vibration of the tongue.

The tension of the spring may be regulated in various ways. As shown the forward end of the bolt 0 is screw threaded and is entered into a screw threaded block 0 fastened in the ends are caught in front of the axle by the yoke plate J of two metal yokes K which embrace the axle.

It will be seen that all of the above named parts may be applied to any of the usual forms of wagon running gear-without any alteration of or injury to the same. Instead of a chain passing around the pulley, it will be understood that a wire cable, rope, strap, or any other flexible connection may be em ployed.

Among the advantages of my tongue support I would state that the tension on the tongue is always the same, no matter in what direction the tongue or team is turned. It allows doubletrees to be removed without unhitching the team or unhooking or detaching the device in any way. It does not affect the. reach and the wagon may be uncoupled and a longer or new reach put into the wagon without affecting the tongue support. It also avoids the possibility of the swing bar or hounds wearing on the reach and will not cause the reach to buckle. In this device a wagon can be placed on a grain dump commonly used in elevators and wagon dumped without detaching the spring or device in any way. Going over rough ground or over grades, into hollows, or washouts, does not affect the spring, and in going over rough ground the tongue will not flop from one side to the other, pounding the horses, but the weight of the tongue can be so adjusted as to have the weight remain on the neck yoke, thereby keeping the wagon running straight. This device also works quietly, there being no rattling or squeaking of spring to annoy the horses.

I claim '1. A vehicle tongue support, comprising a pulley connected to the front side of the axle, a flexible connection passing under the axle and around the pulley and connected to the tongue in rear of its fulcrum and a tension devlce securing the flexible connection to a stationary point in rear of the axle.

2. A Vehicle tongue support, comprising a pulley connected to the front side of the axle, a rearwardly extending bar on the tongue, a flexible connection attached thereto and passing around the pulley, and a tension spring connecting the chain to the hounds.

3. A Vehicle tonguesupport, comprising a pulley, a bent metal frame carrying the pul- ELMER O. AYERS.

Witnesses:

GLEN V. HoENre, SARA SIMPSON. 

